UPSC PSIR Optional Syllabus 2024

The PSIR optional syllabus seamlessly blends both static and dynamic elements in an easily comprehensible manner. Out of a total of 1750 marks for all Mains papers, the optional paper’s weightage is 500 marks, that is, 250 marks for each paper.

Some advantages of choosing PSIR as your UPSC Optional Subject are as follows:

  • Interest and Passion: Opting for PSIR allows you to study a subject you are genuinely interested in, making the learning process more engaging and productive.
  • Scoring Potential: PSIR is known for its potential to yield high scores. Its well-structured syllabus allows for concise and analytical answers, which can enhance your exam performance. For example, In the UPSC CSE of 2022, a student of Vajiram & Ravi, Ms. Ishita Kishore, achieved AIR-1 with PSIR as her chosen optional subject.
  • Overlapping with General Studies: There’s a significant overlap between the PSIR syllabus and in areas like Indian Polity, International Relations, and Governance of GS Paper I for Prelims and GS II For Mains.
  • Availability of Study Material: There is a wealth of study material available for Political Science, ranging from textbooks to coaching classes. This abundance of resources simplifies your preparation process.
  • Relevant Current Affairs: PSIR is a dynamic subject closely tied to current political and international events. Studying it helps you stay updated with current affairs, a crucial aspect of the UPSC exam.
  • Career Opportunities: A background in PSIR can open doors to various career opportunities beyond the UPSC exam. It can lead to roles in public administration, diplomacy, international organisations, and academia.
  • Interdisciplinary Nature: PSIR is an interdisciplinary subject, drawing from fields like history, sociology, economics, and law. This interdisciplinary approach enriches your understanding of governance and politics, providing a broader perspective.

PSIR Optional Syllabus for Paper 1

The PSIR optional syllabus for Paper 1 is divided into several sections, covering various aspects of political theory, Indian political thought, Western political thought, and comparative politics. Candidates are expected to have a deep knowledge of these topics and the ability to critically analyze and apply various political theories and concepts.

Political Theory and Indian Politics

Macro Topic 

Micro Topics

Political Theory

Meaning and approaches.

Theories of state

Liberal, Neo-liberal, Marxist, Pluralist, post-colonial and Feminist.

Justice

Conceptions of justice with special reference to Rawl’s theory of justice and its communitarian critiques.

Equality

Social, political and economic; relationship between equality and freedom; Affirmative action.

Rights

Meaning and theories; different kinds of rights; Concept of Human Rights.

Democracy

Classical and contemporary theories; different models of democracy—representative, participatory and deliberative.

Concept of power

Hegemony, Ideology and Legitimacy.

Political Ideologies

Liberalism, Socialism, Marxism, Fascism, Gandhism and Feminism

Indian Political Thought

Dharamshastra, Arthashastra and Buddhist Traditions; Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, Sri Aurobindo, M. K. Gandhi, B. R. Ambedkar, M. N. Roy.

Western Political Thought

Plato, Aristotle, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, John S. Mill, Marx, Gramsci, Hannah Arendt.

Indian Government and Politics

Macro Topic

Micro Topics

Indian Nationalism

– Political Strategies of India’s Freedom Struggle:

  • Constitutionalism to mass Satyagraha, Non-cooperation, Civil Disobedience;
  • Militant and Revolutionary Movements, Peasant and Workers Movements.

– Perspectives on Indian National Movement; Liberal, Socialist and Marxist; Radical Humanist and Dalit.

Making of the Indian Constitution

Legacies of the British rule; different social and political perspectives.

Salient Features of the Indian Constitution

The Preamble, Fundamental Rights and Duties, Directive Principles; Parliamentary System and Amendment Procedures; Judicial Review and Basic Structure doctrine.

Principle organs of the government

– Principal Organs of the Union Government: Envisaged role and actual working of the Executive, Legislature and Supreme Court. 

– Principal Organs of the State Government: Envisaged role and actual working of the Executive, Legislature and High Courts.

Grassroots Democracy

Panchayati Raj and Municipal Government; Significance of 73rd and 74th Amendments; Grassroots movements.

Statutory Institutions/Commissions

Election Commission, Comptroller and Auditor General, Finance Commission, Union Public Service Commission, National Commission for Scheduled Castes, National Commission for Scheduled Tribes, National Commission for Women; National Human Rights Commission, National Commission for Minorities, National Backward Classes Commission.

Federalism

Constitutional provisions; changing nature of centre-state relations; integrationist tendencies and regional aspirations; inter-state disputes.

Planning and Economic Development

Nehruvian and Gandhian perspectives; Role of planning and public sector; Green Revolution, land reforms and agrarian relations; liberalization and economic reforms.

Caste, Religion and Ethnicity in Indian Politics

N/A

Party System

– National and regional political parties, ideological and social bases of parties; Patterns of coalition politics; Pressure groups, trends in electoral behaviour; changing socio-economic profile of Legislators.

Social Movement

– Civil liberties and human rights movements; women’s movements; environmentalist movements.

UPSC PSIR Optional Syllabus 2024 for Paper 2

The PSIR optional syllabus for Paper 2 is divided into several sections, covering various aspects of Indian government and politics, comparative politics, and international relations. Below is an outline of the PSIR Paper 2 syllabus:

Comparative Political Analysis and International Politics

Macro Topic

Micro Topics

Comparative Politics

– Nature and major approaches;

– Political economy and political sociology perspectives;

– Limitations of the comparative method.

State in Comparative Perspective

Characteristics and changing nature of the State in capitalist and socialist economies and advanced industrial and developing societies.

Politics of Representation and Participation

Political parties, pressure groups and social movements in advanced industrial and developing societies.

Globalisation

Responses from developed and developing societies.

Approaches to the Study of International Relations

Idealist, Realist, Marxist, Functionalist and Systems theory.

Key Concepts in International Relations

– National interest, security and power;

– Balance of power and deterrence;

– Transnational actors and collective security;

– World capitalist economy and globalisation.

Changing International Political Order

– Rise of super powers; Strategic and ideological Bipolarity, arms race and cold war; Nuclear threat; 

– Non-aligned Movement: Aims and achievements. 

– Collapse of the Soviet Union; Unipolarity and American hegemony; Relevance of non-alignment in the contemporary world.

Evolution of the International Economic System

– From Brettonwoods to WTO;

– Socialist economies and the CMEA (Council for Mutual Economic Assistance);

– Third World demand for new international economic order;

– Globalisation of the world economy.

United Nations

– Envisaged role and actual record;

– Specialized UN agencies—aims and functioning;

– need for UN reforms.

Regionalisation of World Politics

EU, ASEAN, APEC, AARC, NAFTA.

Contemporary Global Concerns 

Democracy, human rights, environment, gender justice terrorism, nuclear proliferation.

India and the World

Macro Topic

Micro Topics

Indian Foreign Policy

– Determinants of foreign policy;

– The institutions of policy-making;

– Continuity and change.

India’s Contribution

To the Non-Alignment Movement Different phases; Current role.

India and South Asia

– Regional Co-operation: SAARC-past performance and future prospects.
– South Asia as a Free Trade Area.
– India’s “Look East” policy.
– Impediments to regional cooperation:

  • River water disputes;
  • illegal cross-border migration;
  • Ethnic conflicts and insurgencies;
  • Border disputes.

India and the Global South

– Relations with Africa and Latin America;

– A leadership role in the demand for NIEO and WTO negotiations.

India and the Global Centres of Power

USA, EU, Japan, China and Russia.

India and the UN System

– Role in UN Peace-keeping;

– Demand for Permanent Seat in the Security Council.

India and the Nuclear Question

Changing perceptions and policy.

Recent developments in Indian Foreign Policy

– India’s position on the recent crises in Afghanistan, Iraq and West Asia, growing relations with the US and Israel;

– Vision of a new world order.

UPSC Sociology Optional Syllabus 2024

UPSC Sociology is one of the most popular optional subjects among applicants due to its concise syllabus, ease of learning, and availability of quality study materials. Out of a total of 1750 marks for all Mains papers, the optional paper’s weightage is 500 marks, that is, 250 marks for each paper. Most of the time, current affairs-based questions are also asked in sociology optional papers. Hence, to score good marks reading a newspaper daily is equally important.
UPSC Sociology Syllabus for Paper 1
Sociology Paper 1 covers the fundamentals of sociology, including concepts, theories, and methods, focusing on sociological thinkers, social institutions, and various social processes.
FUNDAMENTALS OF SOCIOLOGY
1. Sociology – The Discipline:
  1. Modernity and social changes in Europe and the emergence of Sociology.
  2. Scope of the subject and comparison with other social sciences.
  3. Sociology and common sense.
2. Sociology as Science:
  1. Science, scientific method, and critique.
  2. Major theoretical strands of research methodology.
  3. Positivism and its critique.
  4. Fact value and objectivity.
  5. Non-positivist methodologies.
  3. Research Methods and Analysis:
  1. Qualitative and quantitative methods.
  2. Techniques of data collection.
  3. Variables, sampling, hypothesis, reliability, and validity.
4. Sociological Thinkers:
  1. Karl Marx – Historical materialism, mode of production, alienation, class struggle.
  2. Emile Durkheim – Division of labour, social fact, suicide, religion, and society.
  3. Max Weber – Social action, ideal types, authority, bureaucracy, protestant ethics, and the spirit of capitalism.
  4. Talcolt Parsons – Social system, pattern variables.
  5. Robert K. Merton – Latent and manifest functions, conformity and deviance, reference groups.
  6. Mead – Self and identity.
5. Stratification and Mobility:
  1. Concepts – equality, inequality, hierarchy, exclusion, poverty, and deprivation.
  2. Theories of social stratification – Structural functionalist theory, Marxist theory, Weberian theory.
  3. Dimensions – Social stratification of class, status groups, gender, ethnicity, and race.
  4. Social mobility – open and closed systems, types of mobility, sources, and causes of mobility.
6. Works and Economic Life:
  1. Social organisation of work in different types of society – slave society, feudal society, industrial capitalist society.
  2. Formal and informal organisation of work.
  3. Labour and society.
7. Politics and Society:
  1. Sociological theories of power.
  2. Power elite, bureaucracy, pressure groups, and political parties.
  3. Nation, state, citizenship, democracy, civil society, ideology.
  4. Protest, agitation, social movements, collective action, revolution.
8. Religion and Society:
  1. Sociological theories of religion.
  2. Types of religious practices: animism, monism, pluralism, sects, cults.
  3. Religion in modern society: religion and science, secularisation, religious revivalism, fundamentalism.
9. Systems of Kinship:
  1. Family, household, and marriage.
  2. Types and forms of family.
  3. Lineage and descent.
  4. Patriarchy and sexual division of labour.
  5. Contemporary trends.
10. Social Change in Modern Society:
  1. Sociological theories of social change.
  2. Development and dependency.
  3. Agents of social change.
  4. Education and social change.
  5. Science, technology, and social change.
Sociology Optional Syllabus for Paper 2
Sociology Paper 2 applies sociological theories and concepts to the Indian context, examining social structure, change, and issues specific to Indian society, such as caste, class, and gender.
INDIAN SOCIETY: STRUCTURE AND CHANGE
A. Introducing Indian Society: (i) Perspectives on the Study of Indian Society:
  1. Indology (G.S. Ghure).
  2. Structural functionalism (M. N. Srinivas).
  3. Marxist sociology (A. R. Desai).
  (ii) Impact of colonial rule on Indian society:
  1. Social background of Indian nationalism.
  2. Modernization of Indian tradition.
  3. Protests and movements during the colonial period.
  4. Social reforms.
B. Social Structure:  
(i) Rural and Agrarian Social Structure:
  1. The idea of Indian village and village studies.
  2. Agrarian social structure—evolution of land tenure system, land reforms.
(ii) Caste System:
  1. Perspectives on the study of caste systems: G. S. Ghurye, M. N. Srinivas, Louis Dumont, Andre Beteille.
  2. Features of caste system.
  3. Untouchability- forms and perspectives
  (iii) Tribal Communities in India:
  1. Definitional problems.
  2. Geographical spread.
  3. Colonial policies and tribes.
  4. Issues of integration and autonomy.
(iv) Social Classes in India:
  1. Agrarian class structure.
  2. Industrial class structure.
  3. Middle classes in India.
(v) Systems of Kinship in India:
  1. Lineage and descent in India.
  2. Types of kinship systems.
  3. Family and marriage in India.
  4. Household dimensions of the family.
  5. Patriarchy, entitlements and sexual division of labour.
(vi) Religion and Society:
  1. Religious communities in India.
  2. Problems of religious minorities.
C. Social Changes in India:  
(i) Visions of Social Change in India:
  1. Idea of development planning and mixed economy.
  2. Constitution, law and social change.
  3. Education and social change.
(ii) Rural and Agrarian Transformation in India:
  1. Programmes of rural development, Community Development Programme, cooperatives, poverty alleviation schemes.
  2. Green revolution and social change.
  3. Changing modes of production in Indian agriculture.
  4. Problems of rural labour, bondage, and migration.
(iii) Industrialization and Urbanisation in India: 
  1. Evolution of modern industry in India.
  2. Growth of urban settlements in India.
  3. Working class: structure, growth, class mobilisation.
  4. Informal sector, child labour.
  5. Slums and deprivation in urban areas.
(iv) Politics and Society:
  1. Nation, democracy, and citizenship.
  2. Political parties, pressure groups, social and political elite.
  3. Regionalism and decentralisation of power.
  4. Secularization.
(v) Social Movements in Modern India:
  1. Peasants and farmers’ movements.
  2. Women’s movement.
  3. Backward classes & Dalit movements.
  4. Environmental movements.
  5. Ethnicity and Identity movements.
(vi) Population Dynamics:
  1. Population size, growth, composition, and distribution.
  2. Components of population growth: birth, death, migration.
  3. Population Policy and family planning.
  4. Emerging issues: ageing, sex ratios, child and infant mortality, reproductive health.
(vii) Challenges of Social Transformation:
  1. Crisis of development: displacement, environmental problems, and sustainability.
  2. Poverty, deprivation, and inequalities.
  3. Violence against women.
  4. Caste conflicts.
  5. Ethnic conflicts, communalism, religious revivalism.
  6. Illiteracy and disparities in education.
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